UK marketers say AI adds admin rather than easing it

Research from Optimizely shows that 59% of UK marketers say their administrative workload has increased over the past three years, while 65% say their teams feel more stretched after delegating more work to AI.

Based on a survey of 100 UK marketers and 1,000 UK consumers, the findings point to a gap between expectations of AI and its effect on day-to-day marketing work.

Almost a third of marketers, 31%, said their administrative workload had increased dramatically during that period. More than half, 54%, said AI often creates more work than it saves.

The results suggest that, for many teams, AI has not reduced routine work in the way businesses had hoped. Instead, marketers reported added pressure as they manage new workflows alongside existing tools and processes.

At the same time, the research suggests companies are not pulling back on AI spending. Some 38% of marketers said they plan to invest in more AI assistants over the next 12 months.

Integration appears to be a central issue, with 43% saying better links between AI and existing marketing tools represent the biggest opportunity to improve efficiency.

The data comes as marketing departments face pressure to produce more content, run more campaigns, and show clearer returns on spending, while also absorbing new technologies into established systems. In that context, AI can add another layer of operational work if outputs need to be checked, reformatted, or moved between disconnected platforms.

Tara Corey, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Optimizely, said the issue is not whether marketers are using AI, but whether it fits into how teams already work.

"AI is helping marketers work faster and take on tasks that would previously have eaten into their time," Corey said.

"But many teams are finding that the time AI saves in one place is lost in another. When marketers are already stretched, AI should be making their work easier, not adding another layer of complexity.

"Marketers need AI that works with the platforms and processes they rely on every day, so it takes admin off their plates. That's what will give teams the time to focus on the strategic and creative work that makes a real difference to their customers."